| Product: |
The Forbidden Game 1: The Hunter - Lisa Jane Smith |
| Date: |
06/10/08 (232 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Fantastic story, clever writing, detailed characterisation.
Disadvantages: Its not long enough! I wanted more.
Published in the Uk in 1995, written by LJ Smith, now known as LJane Smith.
The books is aimed at teens/young adults, and was released by *Point Horror*.
I would class it as horror, teen fiction.
New information from LJane Smith is available here.
http://www.ljanesmith.net/
The Hunter is part one of the *forbidden game* trilogy, followed by *The Chase*, and then *The Kill*.
Synopsis.
~~~~~~
Jenny is looking for a special present for her boyfriend Tom.
She finds herself in an unusual shop, in the rough part of town.
There she buys a game , complete with paper house, in a plain box, from a beautiful blue eyed boy.
On her way home, she realises she is being followed by two rough looking characters, who seem to want the game also.
That night, she and her friends, Tom, Audrey, Mike, Dee Zach and Summer, play the game, making the house, and invoking a rune.
The next thing they know, they are all inside the game, inside the paper house that they constructed.
The blue eyed boy from the shop is Julian, the youngest of the *Shadow men*, demonlike spirits that live in the shadows.
Julian has been in love with Jenny since she was a child, and has constructed this game to make her his.
The friends are told that they have to make their way through the house, facing their worst nightmares on the way.
If they make it to the top of the house by dawn, they are free to go, if they dont, they belong to Julian.
~~~~~~
What I love about this book is the complicated relationships between the characters.
Jenny loves her boyfriend, dependable Tom, but is drawn to the beautiful Julian.
Julians love for Jenny is heart wrenching.
I admit, I spent the whole book wishing that Jenny would see sense, jack in her friends, and run off with Julian, but nope. Jenny has a better moral compass than I, and she cant seem to get past the fact that he seems to be intrinsicly evil.
whats a little evil between friends.
The book is full of interesting characters.Dee is Jennys best friend. Strong and beautiful, with a knowledge of martial arts. Dee believes in herself physically, but doesnt put much faith in her mental abilities, and has a fear of technology.
Audrey is a new friend. Sophisticated and cultured, her and Dee's personalities dont mesh.
Summer is gentle, and kind, the baby of the group.
Zach is Jennys distant cousin. A photographer. Julian claims that Zach has romantic feelings for Jenny, but Julian can be a bit of a fibber, and this is never made clear.
Mike is Audreys boyfriend, the son of a science fiction writer. He is loveable, but cowardly.
There are certain parallels between *The Hunter* and *the Labyrinth*.Both involve a charismatic demon type bloke luring away the loved ones of a beautiful young girl, in the hopes of wooing her...or at least trapping her in their kingdoms.
This book is a page turner from the very beginning. The writing is fast paced and exciting. The nightmares that the friends have to face really are scary, and the writer explores how different people have different fears-no matter how silly they may seem to others.
I enjoyed the references to Norse mythology (the use of runes, and explanations of different worlds), and liked that the story seemed to have a history. There was a reason for everything, and an explanation.
The next two books in the trilogy are just as enthralling, and I would really suggest reading them.
These books are not easy to get hold of anymore. Sometimes amazon has copies, and they can occasionally be found on ebay.
LJ Smith was out of action for quite a while due to personal issues, but is now writing again. For more information, visit the website link I gave at the top of the review.
Summary: A fantastic read, still relevant.
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Last comments:
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- 06/10/08 well reviewed... |
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- 06/10/08 very good review |
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